Where Shadows Lurk (A Poor Example of My Writing Ability)

Madness

When I reach my dorm room, I stop in front of the door, looking at it while I rake shaky hands through my hair. For some reason, I don't want to be in my room. Like it is poison just being near it I start to sweat. What is wrong with me? I think, turning back around and trotting back down the hall silently in the dark that had started to fall. The sick feeling goes away. I shake my head and head down to the first floor, seeing the last of the students retreat into their cozy rooms.

I stand in front of the entrance, looking outside. "Why do you stay?" A calm motherly voice chids by my ear. I turn to see the woman of shadows

"You are Shade, aren't you?" I ask, turning back to the door pressing my hand on the surface of the cold door.

"Oh, well, you could say that... Now a'days I just go by whatever they choose to call me. You can call me Marie." The smile she gives is anything but pleasant, wide and distorted through her shadowy disguise

"I'm going to hurt people if I stay here, aren't I?" I ask her as I take a step through the first door standing in the threshold between the outside and indoors where it is warm and safe. Outside, the city is alive with activity.

"You will hurt them regardless," she laughs bemusedly, "you are my puppet, dearest Jordan... And you will do what I require of you eventually, maybe not today, but eventually."

"And what is it you require of me, Marie?" I ask turning back to go inside again, I pass through here. Just an illusion, I tell myself, shake it off already!

"I want you to end the Seers, boy" She turns to face me as I walk back inside she stays in the threshold.

"I won't help you... I won't be like you... I don't want people to be afraid of me, I want to help people. I want to save people. I will defeat you and end the plague you have caused this world" I turn to glare back at her with glowing eyes, a bright purple, the edges around my eyes lined with black veins, "I am not you." I hiss before turning away again and walking back to my dorm.

I hear her scratchy laughter behind me as I walk back. "You will come to me eventually, Jordan. you can't resist me for long!"

I ignore her, trying to rub the glow frustratingly out of my eyes. "I'm not like her.... Not like her... Not like her" I repeat to myself as I make my way back to my room, the trip takes all of about ten minutes but it felt like hours and by the time I get to my room, I am drained.

I inch to the door, but the sick feeling doesn't return. I open the door with a slow creak and shuffle into the pitch black darkness. I stand in the middle of my room and shut my eyes tight curling into a ball on the floor.

"I'm not like her!" I whisper loudly to myself.

I start to feel the ground moving under me as I roll back and forth, like the floor is made of millions of small snakes trying to get free of gravity. I open my eyes and the purple glow illuminates the surroundings, showing dark shadows emerging from the ground and bowing their grotesque and disfigured heads in my direction. Like I'm a king. Like I am something to be bowed at.

No, I think, none of this is real... Get a grip! They crowd around me, making me claustrophobic.

"Go... Away" I breathe shaking on the ground.

They move in closer, ignoring me, "Go away!" I scream at them and my eyes burn brighter, the black veins returning as sharp spikes of darkness shoot out from the ground around me. I hear a whimper.

When I open my eyes, I see Henry standing barely escaping impalement between several spikes. The dissolve as my eyes widen and hold a hand out to him.

He shakes his head and backs away eyes huge with terror. His hand fumbles with the door knob, my glowing eyes fade and I don't see him as he leaves.

Eventually, I find nightmare filled sleep on the floor of my room, tossing and turning and moaning in my sleep.